Don't Get SCAMMED by Unscrupulous Inspectors!

 Not all inspectors are all the same - be wary of who you hire

• Be suspicious if the inspection fee is a lot lower than other inspectors in the area. This is not the time to be cheap. With inspections, it is usually you get what you pay for. That $50 or $100 you saved, will come back to haunt you. For example you saved $100, but the inspector missed that roof was leaking and needed to be repaired, about $2500. (which you found out after you moved in and you have completed the home purchase) Did you really save? Home inspections are all about finding defects before the real estate transaction is completed and you can re-negotiate with the seller.

• Be suspicious if the inspector says "this inspection will only take about an hour". Or even worse - your inspector only takes about an hour on your inspection! An average size home (1800 - 2200 sq ft) will take about three hours to inspect. After all there are about 150 different components of a home to examine on a home inspection. Don't you want a full examination?

• We have talked to some people who will comment, "oh my home inspector got finished in about an hour" and they were totally pleased. Quicker is not better. How many defects do you think that inspector missed? The sad part is that the client will not find the defects until a time in the future when they will have to pay to have the defect corrected. Some defects could be safety or fire hazard related, it is terrible to find these until after an accident has occurred.

• Inspectors will also try to convince you that the short time for the inspection is normal - they are so experienced, they can do it quicker. These inspectors are motivated by the money, they try to get as many inspections done as possible in a day. We know reputable inspectors who have 30 years in the industry who still spend three hours on an average size house. This is the normal amount of time that any inspector, who is thorough and cares about his clients, spends checking the home.

• Some inspectors are influenced by realtors who give them steady business to give "light" inspections or inspections that will insure the sale goes through. There are some totally unscrupulous inspectors and realtors out there who are only interested in fees and commissions. They don't care about their client's interest.

• In summary, beware of inspectors who charge lower than normal fees or don't take the time to do a full examination of the home. Make your own choice when choosing an inspector. Unless you trust your realtor completely, don't just use the first one the realtor recommends.

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